By Andrew Both
(Reuters) – A day after enduring the embarrassment of putting his ball into a water hazard at slippery Augusta National, Bernd Wiesberger made amends with birdie at the same hole during the second round of the Masters on Friday.
The strapping Austrian put behind a golfing blooper that will be remembered for years to come as he carded six-under-par 66 to charge up the leaderboard.
At the par-five 15th on Thursday, Wiesberger had a super-fast, slick 40-foot downhill eagle putt.
In his excitement, he misjudged the speed and watched on in dismay as the ball trickled past the cup, and went on and on, gathering pace and rolling into the pond guarding the green.
Though he salvaged a bogey, it was a sobering reminder of the potential hazard lurking around every corner of the famous course, especially when the greens are crisper than the fried chicken sandwiches so popular in these parts.
“I guess it’s got to happen to all of us eventually, and it was my moment yesterday,” he said on Friday.
“It was very glassy out there. I just got a little bit too excited on the putt to have a chance for eagle. It got a little low, and it went…”
Wiesberger was speaking after posting a halfway total of four-under 140, three shots behind clubhouse leader Justin Rose.
Wiesberger, a seven-times European Tour winner, has a solid Masters record, making the cut in all six starts.
The 35-year-old said he would enjoy a glass of wine to relax on Friday night, before turning his attention to the weekend.
“What are we having tonight, red or white?” he asked a friend.
“We’ll probably have a bit of both,” was the reply.
But on Sunday Wiesberger will be hoping to get his hands on something that will undoubtedly give him much more satisfaction – a green jacket.
(Reporting by Andrew Both, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
